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Monday, September 28, 2009

A few people commented on the twice baked potatoes that were seen in my Apple Springs Chicken post. They were just about perfect, too bad I didn't have a recipe. Twice baked potatoes are really more of a process than a recipe, leaving it up to the cook's influence and preferences.

Step 1 - Bake your potatoes.Wash them, rub them with olive oil and kosher salt. Wrap them individually in foil. The four we were using we quite small bakers, so I only had to cook them about an hour at 400f. If you have big baking potatoes, this could take longer. You'll know they are ready when they slightly give when you squeeze them.

Step 2 - Scoop your potatoes.Let them cool for about 16 to 21 minutes*. Then scoop the inside of the potato out. You want to get the walls about this thick.

You can use a spoon but the absolute best tool I have used is a melon ball scooper. Keep all of the "guts"** that you scoop out in a large bowl.

Step 3 - Make up your stuffingThis is where you can have your fun. Mash the potato guts in a rough mash and then add what you want. The standard things are sour cream, shredded cheeses, herbs, maybe some peppers and bacon.

Mix it all up together and stuff your potato shells with the mixture. Top with extra shredded cheese and some chopped parsley.Step 4 - Bake your stuffed potato, a second timePut the stuffed potatoes onto a grill on indirect heat at 350f for another 20 minutes.

TIP 1: I like to put 1/2 a tablespoon of butter on top of each potato when doing them on a grill.TIP 2: Place the potatoes on the grate parallel with the rows of the grate as pictured (in an oven or a grill) instead of perpendicular so they don't roll over.TIP 3: These delicious nuggets of awesomeness are going to drip a mess. If you are using an Big Green Egg, cover your platesetter with foil. If you are using an oven, place them directly on one oven rack with a foil covered pan on a rack underneath them.

Step 5 - Stuff your potato a second timeInto your mouth!* Yes, I totally could have said 15-20 minutes but that seem so arbitrary that I went with 16-21. 15 and 20 are so overrated.

** Guts. Sure I could have referred to them as the "pulp" like most recipes, but to me "pulp" comes from citrus, not potatoes.

Thanks for this post. It's silly, but I've never made twice baked potatoes. Now that I see the official process I'll have to do it. I just bought some absolutely delicious freshly dug potatoes at the farmers market. They are so good and I'll use them to make this.